(CN - HKG) A Cagey Issue

[Guest guest]

November 27th, 2009

Should the caging methods at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens

be overhauled?

By June Ng

HK Magazine

http://hk-magazine.com/feature/cagey-issue

 

The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens is one of the most valuable

green spots amid the concrete jungle of Central, and is part of the

collective memory of multiple generations of Hongkongers. Almost everybody

remembers the first time they visited the park and saw its exotic animals as

a kid. Yet few are aware that the conditions under which its animals are

kept has drawn criticism from animal rights activists for years.

 

First installed in the 1970s, the cages that are used in the Gardens are now

considered to be an old-fashioned means for keeping zoo animals. Notable

controversy recently surrounded the case of the jaguars. Last year,

there was a debate over whether or not the government should import a new

jaguar to replace the deceased Siu Fa, the last remaining jaguar in the zoo.

In the end the idea was dropped after it was decided that there wasn't

enough space for the animal in the cage. In a similar case back in 1998, the

zoo's two adult jaguars had to be kept in separate cages to stop them from

mating and

producing offspring.

 

But these are just two of the park's 550 animals. All in all there are 70

mammals (of 18 different varieties), 400 birds (of 150 varieties), and 80

reptiles (of 15 varieties) residing in the 5.4-hectare Gardens. Forty-eight

percent of the animals are endangered species protected by law. And among

the mammals, 11 of them are arboreal apes such as orangutans, gibbons,

tamarins and lemurs. Such animals are supposed to reside in trees and swing

about freely. Yet they are currently kept in cages with only parts of tree

trunks.

 

Dr. John Wedderburn, a medical doctor who has pushed for animal rights for

more than a decade, believes the zoo is " a disgrace for a wealthy society

like Hong Kong. " He stressed there is insufficient space for the animals to

behave in accordance with their natural instincts. " You could argue that

Hong Kong people have to live in small apartments, but at least we can open

the door and leave the flat, " he says.

 

PETA representative Jason Baker agrees. " The animals are basically living in

a jail cell, " he says. For example, the cage that houses two siamangs-the

black furred gibbons from Malaysia and the largest species of the gibbon

family-is 150m2 in size, when an adult siamang could be as tall as one

meter, and their armspan could reach almost double the length of their

height.

 

But as the only government-run zoo that houses such a large variety of rare

species, the park remains a popular destination. According to the Leisure

and Cultural Services Department, 830,000 people visited the park last year.

And one important purpose of the park is to educate. In this respect, Dr.

Billy Hau from the Division of Biodiversity and Ecology at the University of

Hong Kong thinks the park should be commended. " Before we had the park, it

was difficult to get hold of information and see real living animals for

free, " he says.

 

Dr. Wedderburn and Baker disagree. " What can children learn when they see an

orangutan lying on a concrete floor? " asks Baker. Wedderburn adds that

exhibiting animals in cages is simply to show them being exploited by

humans.

 

Even so, Dr. Hau believes the Gardens have a good reputation when it comes

to conserving endangered species such as the golden lion tamarin. It's

estimated that there are 1,000 in the wild and 490 in the captive breeding

population, and two of these were born here.

 

Dr. Wedderburn questions the point of the conservation program. " When

they're born, will they be released to the wild? " he asks. " No, they'll just

be transferred to other zoos. If you had children, would you want them to

stay in prison forever? " Meanwhile, Baker from PETA points out that our zoo

is in fact among the top three most complained about zoos in Asia. While

both agree that the staff there have done a good job in terms of providing

health care for and feeding the animals, they think the LCSD should phase

out the animals and ultimately close the zoo, keeping the park just as a

botanical garden.

 

It's still early to talk about whether or not the park should only feature

plants, as was originally intended when it was set up in 1871. When we

talked to some visitors there, they suggested making the cages bigger and

putting more natural features inside them. At the end of the day, it's a

complicated issue, as Dr. Hau affirms. " One could say that they suffer in

the cages, but one could also argue that they would suffer if they had to

find food on their own in the wild, " he says. He adds that captive breeding

is important if we want to preserve endangered species, and says the zoo can

serve as a kind of " ark " for such animals. As for possible improvements, the

LCSD says they have been sending zoo staff to attend overseas training to

learn the most up-to-date animal management and husbandry techniques, and

that the facilities are frequently being improved and updated.